A Grave Encounter
by MistresofRave
Summary: George Weasley goes to visit his brother's burial plot for the first time since the funeral and receives a surprise that he is not the only visitor in the dead of night. Written for CosmicaBlack's plunnies thread. One-Shot.


George found that this was the only time he could force himself out of the house. It was night and no one would see where he was going. It wasn't as if he had to hide himself from the world, but he didn't want anyone else here for this. The redhead pulled his cloak tighter around him as he quickly apparated away. It was the trip that he had been fighting for a long time, the entire evening felt melancholy and he could feel his chest tightening just from the thoughts spinning in his head. It was a solemn thing that he undertook. He had, after all, meant the world to him. Fred was his twin, the closet being on this world to himself, and it was time.

As he approached he heard something that he had not expected though. There was a soft feminine sound that came from the place he was going. The most peculiar thing is that he recognized the voice that spoke. It was not one that he had expected to be here either. Her voice was soft and sorrowful as she spoke.

"I'm sorry, really and truly I am." She sounded broken and she was so strong, he hadn't thought anyone could bring her down like this. But if anybody, he could understand that grief changed an individual, it changed what you were and warped you inot something that you barely recognized when you looked in the mirror. "I know that I promised you, I promised you that I'd be back and that everyone would be okay. You were so concerned when you heard I was going with them to find the horcruxes. You were one of the best friends that I ever had, someone that I could actually talked to when I needed one, and when you needed someone I wasn't there to save you." The young woman broke down in tears, clutching her hand to her chest, the other on the top of the marble grave stone that read: FRED WEASELY, TWIN, FRIEND, ENTERTAINER, LOVED.

"Hermione..." George's voice said softly as he approached out of the shadows now. She looked up startled, those chestnut eyes flying around wildly and her hand immediately going to her wand. He saw the recognition pass over her eyes as she saw it was him, then anger and then sadness. He felt that it was his time to speak with her directly. "Now listen, I wasn't spying on you, I am here for what I believe is the same reason that you are." George said with his hands up placatingly and he watched as her face fell.

It was then he took notice of her appearance. She was in a pretty navy blue dress that due to being on the ground had just came above her knees. It hugged her figure well. It showcased her now natural assets. It had been six months since the end of the war and it appeared that Hermione Granger certainly had grown up. Gone was the frizzy hair of the bucktoothed first year. Her hair now was sleek and a lovely light brown color. The minimalistic makeup that she wore was now running down her face as the tears rolled down. Her chest was shaking from the effort of containing her sobs and George felt something quite intense pull at his heartstrings for the young woman.

"I'm sorry. I haven't been able to come over." She said quietly. Everyone knew how busy she was at the ministry and truly she had ran herself ragged.

"No one really has seen you since the end of the war. What happened to you and my brother?" George asked, his own reason for coming here previously forgotten.

"Please...Ronald wants love and love is for children." Hermione said as she looked at him, looking down again. The tears didn't stop despite her intensely bitter words and he felt sorry for her.

"Everyone wants and deserves love Hermione." George said as he finally approached her. "Fred knew that just as well as anyone else. But I understand throwing yourself into your work as a way to divert yourself from the grief." George said as he looked down at her.

"I just couldn't bring myself to see him, since the funeral." Hermione said quietly as she continued to look at the ground.

"D'ya wanna know a secret?" George asked her.

"Yes." She said, still in hushed tones though she looked up at him and he could see the inquisitive spark in her eyes.

"Neither have I." George said as he put an arm over her shoulder as they both looked down at the grave with a soft smile. "Just like you, Fred. Always did like bringing others together. That's what you and I are Hermione, kindred souls." He said with a smile as a single tear descended down his cheek. "Don't blame yourself. We knew what we were getting into, it's not your responsibility to save everyone Hermione. You may be the brightest witch of our age, but you're still human." He squeezed her shoulder with a smile. "Come on, come over to my place for tea, I reckon the both of us could use some company about now."


End file.
